Currently there exists a need to improve the growth performance of poultry, which includes increasing the rate of formation and amount of muscle, as well as a corresponding increase in muscle weight. Due to the expanding emphasis on identifying eco-friendly approaches to achieve performance improvements in poultry and other food animals, it is desirable that such strategies not involve the use of steroids or other chemical hormones.
In poultry, satellite cells are considered to be the progenitors of muscle cells. Under physiological conditions in which satellite cells are activated, they proliferate, and undergo differentiation into mature muscle cells (reviewed in Kaung and Rudnicki, Trends in Mol Med; 14(2):82-91; 2008). There are essentially two stages during which poultry satellite cells can be targeted for proliferation and differentiation—the pre-hatch (embryonic) stage, and post-hatch. Thus, there exists an unmet need to identify a suitable composition, as well to identify the correct timing and administration route for that composition, to achieve an increase in muscle weight in poultry.